Southwest China's baby quilts featured in Beijing exhibition

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An exhibition featuring traditional baby carriers from ethnic groups in southwest China is being held till June 1 this year at the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum in Beijing.

Cloth baby carriers from ethnic groups in southwest China are displayed at the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum in Beijing on January 21, 2026. /VCG

Known as "beishan," or back carriers, these wide cloth slings and quilts are used to carry and wrap infants, often described as a "cradle on the back." In the mountainous regions of southwest China, where roads are rugged and daily farm work is demanding, mothers traditionally carry their babies on their backs while working in the fields, giving rise to this practical and culturally rich tradition.

Cloth baby carriers from ethnic groups in southwest China are displayed at the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum in Beijing on January 21, 2026. /VCG

The exhibition features 70 selected pieces donated by collector Ma Zhengrong, highlighting distinctive baby carriers from ethnic groups including Miao, Shui, Dong, Buyi, Yao, Yi and Zhuang people. The displays also showcase more than a dozen traditional handicraft techniques, such as Buyi embroidery and Miao paper-cutting, embroidery and brocade weaving, reflecting the rich diversity of China's intangible cultural heritage.

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